Mrs. America

In most political tv-dramas ala West Wing there are the good sympathetic side, the pragmatic middle-ground and the evil/greedy/malicious adversaries. Not here. You will at times feel sympathy for both Cate Blanchetts complex portrayal of Shaftlys campaign against the women's liberation movement and disgust at the Pro-ERA proponents that ignore, undermine and fragment themselves in the fight for true equality between the sexes. The conversations are realistic "-Have you read Xs new unamed book? -No. I hear it is boring. -She is always a bore -". Events that we tend to think were front and center in the 70s are not dominating the narrative. Watergate, Vietnam and hippies are not shown to be the centre of the world like in Forrest Gump, rather they are mentioned briefly in passing conversations. Things that were way more discussed then but nearly forgotten today, like SALT and the awkward situation with the political parties in mid-shift is prominent. The conservatives and liberals are not synonyms to the respective parties. We meet the progressive republicans and the chauvinistic democrats. Kudos for showing that. Roe vs Wade is not shown to be the giant battle we think it was today, but rather we are treated to the more bipartisan support it enjoyed. ERA is not shown to be a life or death struggle with a small group of women standing up for it, rather a manifestation of a beginning culture war. There are no heroes, no easy answers or giant victories. This could have been a Wicked witch Shcaffly vs Saint Steinem series. It is not. We see Steinem avoiding picking sides, pedantic infighting, racial unspoken tension, the emergence of lgbtq-struggle, a wide range of christian views from the new evangelicals to the practical pragmatic Catholic mother who shield her gay son in Scafflys case. I love it. Because it does not try to dumb a complicated era down, rather we are shown an era were having a mailing list of 30 000 people was considered a major political asset... and where by-then-standard progressive women still considered it their duty to drive the daughters to tennis-lessons so their husbands could succeed... Where married women debating without their husbands present on television was strange. I am captivated( and also a man), in a way I have not been since Rome was premiering on HBO.

Phyllis Schlafly was a staunch conservative who stood in the way of women's rights as well as other civil movements like gay rights.

She is not the hero of this story and that's what makes the series so compelling. You get the story from many sides and each actress portrays their part with amazing talent that leaves you wanting to learn more.

I suppose the strong performances could be why some users like Liberius mistake the portrayal of individuals like Phyllis Schlafly as supporters of female empowerment when in reality she stood in the way of progress, not with facts but through charisma alone.

As a woman who is old enough to remember the events in this series, I can say most of it is true. And as a New Yorker, it brings back memories. Despite a few reviewers who claim this is a 'disgusting' and false portrayal of the early 70s women's movement, sorry, they are wrong. And if they look at Wikipedia's entry of Phyllis Schlafly, they will learn. This is a very entertaining and important series, don't miss it.

Very interesting time capsule (and kickass 70's soundtrack) that is more sympathetic to Phyllis Schlafly than I expected.

She was a savvy and determined woman; no matter your politics, the Schlafly family is remarkable and accomplished. Fantastic irony that the feminist movement she loathed was the very vehicle that gave her a voice.

Completely disagree with her politics and beliefs; but, credit where credit is due - she was a fighter and a worthy opponent.

This was a typically well done and entertaining FX miniseries with no dull, time extending filler. The cast is top notch. My one issue was the twisting of the truth in regards to the Tom Snyder interview. I found it unnecessary and irresponsible. I am definitely pro women's rights and equality and I feel the cause is so worthy there is no need to twist the facts.